McCloskey Visits Evil

In recent years the most interesting artists I’ve met have been print-makers. I visited the studios of Mexican masters. Last summer I had the good fortune to study with the amazing Endi Poskovic, when he team-taught at Kutztown. Wanting to become a better woodblock printer, I asked Prof. Evan Summer to recommend the absolute best person in America to study with. He answered, “Tom Huck, heh, heh.”

Tom Huck told me I was welcome to come study at his shop in St. Louis in July. He calls it Evil Bootcamp and warned I would have to sleep on the printshop floor. I said fine, send me an invoice, since I might be able to get Kutztown University to pay for the course. The invoice was simple and direct, “Please Remit $666 -Payable to Evil Prints.”

Now, I was once a substitute member of the Kutztown University Faculty Professional Development Committee, so I knew there was no way they would sign off on this “666.” My wife suggested I send Tom Huck eight dollars cash and submit a less evil invoice of 558. Based on my limited experience with evil and my excessive experience with faculty committees, I decided it would be easier to just pay the 666 myself.

So I’ve ironed my best Darth Maul polo shirt and I’m off to St. Louis. When I get back I should have an interesting story to tell, heh, heh.

McCloskey and Huck

UPDATE: Since this was published, I’ve written a longer essay about Evil Prints Bootcamp at the webzine, Commonsense2.com. Good News: Evil Prints will offer two Bootcamps in 2011, apply here.